Brightest Stars Book 1 Whispering Shadows
by GreeceXCats527
Summary: 5 cats have come to the Clans, with powers said to be even greater than StarClan itself. But with strange rumors surfacing among their Clans, can the cats survive the judging words of their Clanmates? Story Credits included inside. Rated T
1. Allegiances

**AN; Wow! I was doing so much work on my other account yesterday, I nearly forgot about this one! Anyways, here is a new story that I'llprobably be working on when I can, but as always, Fawnshade is my 1st priority. :)**

**Ownership Rights: All rights to the idea of the Marked go to Praise You In The Storm**

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**ALLEGIANCES**

**ThunderClan**

**Leader****: Bramblestar** - dark brown tabby tom, amber eyes

**Deputy****: Berrynose** - cream-colored tom

_Apprentice, Lilypaw_

**Medicine Cat****: Jayfeather** - gray tabby tom with blind jay-feather blue eyes

_Apprentice, Amberpaw_

**Warriors****: Brackenfur **- golden-brown tabby tom

_Apprentice, Dewpaw_

**Cloudtail** - long-haired white tom with blue eyes

**Brightheart **- white she-cat with ginger patches

**Thornclaw** - golden-brown tabby tom

**Sorreltail** - tortoseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

**Spiderleg **- long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

**Birchfall **- light brown tabby tom

A_pprentice, Seedpaw_

**Whitewing** - white she-cat with green eyes

**Hazeltail **- small gray-and-white she-cat

**Mousewhisker **- gray-and-white tom

**Poppyfrost -** tortoiseshell she-cat

**Cinderheart **- gray tabby she-cat

**Foxleap **- reddish tabby tom

_Apprentice, Snowpaw_

**Icecloud **- white she-cat

**Toadstep **- black-and-white tom

**Rosepetal -** dark cream she-cat

**Briarlight **- dark brown she-cat

**Blossomfall **- tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

**Bumblestripe** - very pale gray tom with black stripes

**Dovewing **- pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

**Cherryspirit -** ginger she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentices****: Snowpaw **- white tome with amber eyes

**Amberpaw **- gray she-cat with white patches and amber eyes

**Dewpaw **- gray tom with amber eyes

**Lilypaw** - dark tabby she-cat with white patches

S**eedpaw** - pale ginger she-cat

**Queens****: Ivypool -** silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes, expecting Toadstep's kits

**Squirrelflight -** dark ginger she-cat with green eyes, mother to Bramblestar's kits: Petalkit (ginger she-kit with brown tabby paws) Frostkit (white tom) Leafkit (tabby tom)

**Daisy **- cream long-furred cat from the horseplace, mother to Spiderleg's kits: Beetlekit (black tom) Maizekit (golden tabby she-kit with white patches)

**Elders****: Graystripe -** long-haired gray tom

**Dustpelt -** dark brown tabby tom

**Sandstorm** - pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

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**ShadowClan**

**Leader****: Rowanstar** - ginger tom

**Deputy****: Applefur **- mottled-brown she-cat

_Apprentice, Redpaw_

**Medicine Cat****: Littlecloud** - very small tabby tom

**Warriors****: Oakfur** - small brown tom

**Smokefoot **- black tom

_Apprentice, Stormpaw_

**Toadfoot** - dark brown tom

**Crowfrost **- black-and-white tom

A_pprentice, Lichenpaw_

**Ratscar **- brown tom with long scar across his back

**Snowbird -** pure-white she-cat

_Apprentice, Plumpaw_

**Olivenose -** tortoiseshell she-cat

**Owlclaw -** light brown tabby tom

**Shrewfoot -** gray she-cat with black feet

**Scorchfur **- dark gray tom

**Redwillow **- mottled brown-and-ginger tom

**Tigerheart -** dark brown tabby tom

**Ferretclaw -** cream-and-gray tom

**Starlingwing -** ginger tom

_Apprentice, Leafypaw_

**Kinkfur -** tabby she-cat with long fur that sticks out at all angles

**Ivytail -** black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat

**Apprentices****: Redpaw **- ginger and brown tom

**Plumpaw **- black she-cat, dark blue eyes

**Lichenpaw** - dark gray tabby she-cat

**Stormpaw **- light gray tom

** Leafypaw** - dark brown tortoiseshell she-cat

**Queens****: Pinenose -** black she-cat, mother of Tigerheart's kits: Lionkit (golden tabby tom) and Saplingkit (golden tom, swirl on one pad)

**Dawnpelt **- cream-furred she-cat, mother of Starlingwing's kit: Flamekit (ginger-and-gray tom)

**Tawnypelt** - tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes, expecting Rowanstar's kits

**Elders****: Cedarheart -** dark gray tom

**Snaketail **- dark brown tom with tabby striped tail

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**WindClan**

**Leader****: Ashstar -** gray she-cat

**Deputy****: Crowfeather ** - dark gray tom

**Medicine Cat****: Kestrelflight** - mottled gray tom

**Warriors****: Owlwhisker **- light brown tabby tom

**Whitetail -** small white she-cat

**Nightcloud - **black she-cat

**Gorsetail **- very pale gray-and-white tom with blue eyes

**Weaselfur -** ginger tom with white paws

**Harespring **- brown-and-white tom

**Leaftail **- dark tabby tom with amber eyes

**Emberfoot - **gray tom with two dark paws

**Sedgewhisker -** light brown tabby she-cat

**Swallowtail -** dark gray she-cat

**Sunstrike **- tortoiseshell she-cat with large white mark on her forehead

**Whiskerfoot - **light brown tom

**Furzepad** - gray-and-white she-cat

**Boulderheart -** large pale gray tom

**Queens****: Heathertail -** light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Emberfoot's kits: Creekkit (pale gray tabby tom) and Ripplekit (gray she-kit with rippling tabby fur)

**Elders****: Webfoot -** dark gray tabby tom

**Tornear -** tabby tom

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**RiverClan**

**Leader****: Reedstar **- black tom

**Deputy****: Mintfur -** light gray tabby tom

**Medicine Cat****: Willowshine -** gray tabby she-cat

_Apprentice, Dawnpaw_

**Warriors****: Graymist **- pale gray tabby she-cat

_Apprentice_,_ Pricklepaw_

**Icewing **- white she-cat with blue eyes

_Apprentice, Codpaw_

**Pebblefoot -** mottled gray tom

**Mallownose -** light brown tabby tom

**Robinwing -** tortoiseshell-and-white tom

**Grasspelt** - light brown tom

**Duskfur **- brown tabby she-cat

_Apprentice, Dustypaw_

**Mosspelt -** tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

**Hollowflight **- dark brown tabby tom

**Troutsplash -** pale gray tabby she-cat

**Mossystep -** brown-and-white she-cat

_Apprentice, Sunnypaw_

**Rushtail **- light brown tabby tom

**Apprentices****: Dawnpaw -** pale gray she-cat

**Codpaw -** creamy-gray tom

**Pricklepaw -** creamy-gray she-cat

**Dustypaw **- brown tabby tom

**Sunnypaw** - golden she-cat, amber eyes

**Queens****: Petalfur -** gray-and-white she-cat, mother of Reedstar's kits: Blossomkit (brown tabby she-kit) Willowkit (gray tabby she-kit) and Cloudykit (white tom, dark gray patches)

**Minnowtail** - dark gray she-cat, mother of Mallownose's kits: Rustykit (brown tom, reddish-brown paws) Antlerkit (black tom with green eyes) Spicekit (ginger she-kit with black flecks) and Drownkit (black-and-dark gray she-kit)

**Elders****: Dapplenose -** mottled gray she-cat

**Pouncetail -** ginger-and-white tom

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**SkyClan**

**Leader****: Mintystar - **pale gray she-cat, creamy paws

**Deputy****: Flamespirit -** ginger-and-brown tom

**Medicine Cat****: Splashfang -** pale gray she-cat, black flecks

**Hailfur** - pale gray tabby tom

**Warriors****: Turtlesplash** - white-and-tortoiseshell she-cat

_Apprentice, Gingerpaw_

**Nightstorm** - black-and-white she-cat

_Apprentice, Pinepaw_

**Coalwhisker **- dark gray tabby tom

**Jinglenose **- icy-gray she-cat, bright green eyes

_Apprentice, Larkpaw_

**Berryheart** - long-furred auburn tom

**Brightwhisker **- ginger-and-white she-cat

**Tallnose -** tall black tom, white feet

**Snowfang** - white tom, icy-blue eyes

**Apprentices****: Gingerpaw** - ginger-and-white she-cat

**Larkpaw** - pale gray-and-brown she-cat

**Pinepaw **- dark brown-and-cream tom

**Queens****: Lakesplash** - black-and-dark gray she-cat, mother of Tallnose's kits: Icykit (icy-white she-kit) and Yellowkit (black tom)

**Elders****: Blackfang** - dark gray tabby tom

**Applewhisker** - ginger-and-dark brown she-cat

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**Cats Outside the Clans**

**Freckle **- black tom with white flecks

**Red** - ginger she-cat

**Leafpool** - light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, formerly of ThunderClan

**Smoky** - muscular gray-and-white tom who lives at the horseplace

**Floss **- small gray-and-white she-cat who lives at the horseplace


	2. Prologue

**AN; I'm going to try and keep the Author's Notes to a minimum here. :)**

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**Prologue**

The black and white tom paced outside of the den, his tail twitching anxiously as it dragged on the ground. It was the middle on the night, and a brilliant full moon shone above the stone hollow, castiing its light upon the greenleaf grass. The camp was almost empty, except for a pawful of apprentices and a warrior here and there. Even the medicine cats seemed missing. They would be missing, if it weren't for the she-cat's kitting.

"Jayfeather, how is she?" the tom asked anxiously, poking his head inside of the nursery. A paw batted him away.

A gray tabby tom slowly emerged from the den, his fur ruffled slightly. He didn't seem unnerved at all at the fact that there was a she-cat giving birth in the den he had jus left. "Toadstep, Ivypool is going to be fine," he grunted angrily. "Trust me. I've done this hundreds of times before. I'm a medicine cat, for StarClan's sake! I would tell you if ssomething was wrong, wouldn't I? Now, please, she'salmost there. Just one more-"

The tom was cut off by a cry of pain from the cat inside of the den. Jayfeather sighed, turned, and rushed back into the den. Once his tail diseappeared, Toadstep flopped onto the grass with relief. Good. She ws okay. Nothing could be better.

After what seemed like moons, Jayfeather walked out once again. "Go and see your kits," he purred to Toadstep, who jumped up excitedly. The black and white tom didn't believe he'd ever seen the grumpy gray medicine cat so happy before.

A silver and white tabby she-cat was lying on a mossy nest. There were three tiny bundles at her stomach. "They're beautiful," Toadstep purred, licking his mate between the ears.

"I know," Ivypool whispered. "The little tom looks just like you."

Toadstep nudged the black and white tom, who rolled over, opened his mouth, and squealed in protest. He tumbled onto the silver and black she-kit, who shoved him off with her tiny paws. The young parents purred even louder a the sigh of this. "They'll be wonderful warriors," Toadstep murmured.

"We should name them," Ivypool told him happily. "After all, we can't have three nameless warriors now, can we? I think the silver and black she-kit should be named Hollykit, in honor of Hollyleaf. She saved my life. It's the least I can do to thank her."

Toadstep nodded, remembering the insecure black she-cat. Hollyleaf had been so wonderful in the beginning. But after she left, she was never the same. "The silver and white she-kit can be called Ivykit, because she looks just like you." The said kit looked like she was sleeping. At first, Toadstep panicked, then realized her tiny chest was rising and falling in a rythmic matter.

"Jayfeather says she'll have trouble breathing when she gets older," the queen whispered, touching her kit with a paw. "I hope she will be okay."

The black and white warrior nuzzled his mate affectionately. "Don't worry," he promised. "If the Clan don't accept her, I'll shred them all."

Ivypool snorted in laughter. "Okay, well, I'm sure Bramblestar would love that," she meowed sarcastically. "The little tom will be named Shrewkit. Squirrelflight told me about Shrewpaw once. He was killed by a monster back in the old forest. No cat deserves this fate. He will live on in this little cat, here."

Toadstep lay down next to his mate, watching his kits happily. Hollykit had a strange silvery patch on her forehead. It appeared to be shaped like a feather. He turned around to see Jayfeather watching him, his eyes narrowed at his kit.

"There is nothing wrong with her," Toadstep growled at the medicine cat. "Leave my kits alone."

Jayfeather flicked his tail angrily before disappearing back into the hollow.

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**AN; Hope you guys enjoyed this. :3 Remember, all rights to the idea of the Marked go to Praise You In The Storm. Check them out if you haven't. :)**


	3. Chapter 1

**AN; Here is chapter one. :D The perspective will switch between chapters. All rights to the idea of the Marked go to Praise You In The Storm.**

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**Chapter 1**

Hollykit followed Shrewkit around the nursery. They were playing hide and seek, and it was Ivykit's turn to hide. The silver and white she-kit was always so hard to find, even though her pelt stood out among the shadows and the moss that lined the nursery. Ivykit was somehow always able to find a great place to hide. Not even Maizekit could find her, even though Maizekit was the best seeker of all the nursery kits. Hollykit, and the other paw, stunk at hide and seek. She was always found first.

"Shrewkit, looked!" Hollykit whispered to her brother. "That's got to be Petalkit's tail. It's ginger, and no other cat has a ginger tail like that. Well, except for Squirrelflight."

Shrewkit nodded, creeping forward slowly. He gripped the tail lightly in his teeth and softly pulled. The cat who the tail belonged to let out a squeal and tumbled out of the moss. Sure enough, Petalkit's large green eyes stared up at them.

The ginger she-cat picked herself up back onto her brown tabby paws and huffed in annoyance. "I was sure I had the best hiding spot," Petalkit grumbled. "Not even Maizekit would have found me."

Squirrelflight licked her daughter between the ears. "You'll get it next time, dear," she purred happily. "Now, go help find the other kits. Do it qickly. Your father wants to see you and your brothers at sunhigh, and you must look presentable."

Petalkit squirmed away from her mother's tongue and nodded, starting to snuffle along the ground. "I found Maizekit's trail!" she stated after a moment of more sniffing. "She went this way."

Hollykit and Shrewkit exchanged a quick glance before following their much older denmate. She most certainly had picked up Maizekit's trail, because before long, they found the golden tabby between two nests, huddled near thhe back. "Aww!" Maizekit complained, climbing out and sneezing. "That's the first time you guys have found me before. That sucks."

"Maizekit!" Daisy snapped from her nest. "What did I say about saying that word?"

Maizekit rolled her eyes. "To not to," she growled. "But Daisy, I'm almost an apprentice. Beetlekit and I are the oldest kits in the nursery. We should be allowed to say what we want by now."

Daisy picked up her kit, who squirmed in her grasp, and placed her down in Maizekit and Beetlekit's nest. "I don't think so," she growled angrily. "And it's Mother, to you."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Maiekit grumbled, rolling her eyes angrily.

A yowl from the hollow signaled the return oof the sunhigh patrol. Squirrelflight sood up, gathered her three kits, and pushed them outside. "Do you want to come, Hollykit, Shrewkit, and Ivykit?" she asked politely. "Ivypool is back now. She won't mind if you go outside. After all, you are three moons old now. She can't do anything about your age."

Hollykit excitedly scampered after the pale ginger she-cat and out into the open. The camp looked huge. Cats padded here and there, moving from den to den. Some were comin into the camp, others were leaving. Two cats a bit bigger than Maizekit and Beetlekit were play-fighting outside a hollybush, where another cat watched from inside the bush. Every cat seemed to be busy, even the elders.

"Hello, Hollykit," a black and white tom purred, padding over. "You do remember, don't you? So sorry I stopped visiting, I was just so busy around the camp, there was never time. And Bramblestar has asked me to keep a special eyes on the apprentices lately. They've been getting in a lot of trouble."

Hollykit took a step away from Toadstep. Why was her father suddenly so interested in his kits? Was it because they were outside now? And why hadn't he gone to speak with Shrewkit or Ivykit yet? Why just her? "Um, I have to go, erm, see Ivypool," she whimpered, suddenly feeling a searing pain in her chest. The silver and black she-cat suddenly collapsed on the ground, ehr chest heaving, her lungs gulping for air. Why couldn't she breathe?

She was aware of being lifted off the ground, her scruff in a set of jaws, before blacking out.

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"There is nothing wrong with her!"

"She is different, Toadstep. That patch on her forehead in a mark of something."

"Oh, yes? Well then, what does it mean?"

"How should I know? It's not like StarClan are exactly very open-minded about talking to me at the moment."

Hollykit slowly blinked open her eyes to see her father and Jayfeather arguing by a pool of water in the medicine den. Her chest felt slightly better, but not that much. Her mouth tasted like herbs and berries.

"Hollykit is special," Jayfeather snapped at her father. "She is Marked by cats far stronger than StarClan. They have returned. And there is nothing you can do about it."

Toadstep spun around spitting, and stormed out of the den. "Jayfeather, what's wroong with me?" Hollykit rasped, her voice laced with uneasiness. "I don't want to be different. Please, tell me. Why is there something wrong with my lungs?"

Jayfeather padded over to her and licked her between the ears. "You just have something wrong with your lungs, Hollykit," he whispered to her. "You will always be different. There isn't anything we can change about that. But you are different in a good way. Unique. Your lungs were born that way. It's not something we can help, you just have to live with it."

Hollykit nodded, gulping down a lump in her throat. "Okay," she whispered. "Thank you for being honest with me. It really means something to me. No cat has been honest to me before. Toadstep just says I'm the same as every other cat, and Ivypool pretends she can't hear me when I bring up my condition. He brothers don't seem to notice anything. And I think Ivypool told the other queens just to say that I'm fine. It's not fun to be lied to all the time."

The gray tom nodded slowly as the kit spoke. His blue eyes flashed with something, sympathy? "I know how you feel," he meowed. "I was told that Bramblestar and Squirrelflight were my parents, but they weren't. My real parents were Leafpool and Crowfeather. But that dumb WindClan tom doesn't want anything to do with us, and Leafpool was banished from the Clans when Bramblestar took over. Every cat was lying to me, but the truth is, they were all being lied to, too. Only Leafpool and Squirrelflight knew the truth."

He shook his head as though losing the cobwebs of a dream, then stood up and padded back into his herb stores. He shook Amberpaw with a paw and the gray and white she-cat grumbled before getting to her paws. "What?" she snapped angrily, and Hollykit was instantly reminded of Jayfeather.

Jayfeather nudged a pile of herbs toward his apprentice. "I'm going out to fetch more tansy," he growled. "We're running low. Wattch Hollykit, and if her breathing gets shallow again, give her a juniper berry and some coltsfoot."

The blind tabby medicine cat padded out of the den, leaving Hollykit alone with his snippy apprentice. Amberpaw didn't look so happy about having to care for a kit. She would probably be much more happy if she were out in the forest, collecting herbs with her mentor. Amberpaw turned into the storage crevie and pulled out a pile of herbs, which she began to sort. Hollykit wished she could watch. She always like learning about plants.

"Amberpaw?" she rasped. The gray and white she-cat grunted, not looking up. "Amberpaw, how long was I out for?"

The apprentice didn't respond. "Since sunhigh," she finally growled. "And now it's dusk. Tomorrow night is the full moon, you know. So get better. I don't want to be stuck in camp during a Gathering just to watch a stupid crippled kit."

Hollykit glanced guiltily at her paws. "Jayfeather didn't say I was crippled," she whispered, "so why does Amberpaw think I am?"

"Because injured cats are crippled," Amberpaw snapped, turning around angrily. "You aren't sick, you just have injured lungs. Key word; Injury. You are injured, you are crippled. Easy enough concept."

The black and silver she-cat closed her eyes. She didn't ask for this to happen to her. But it did. _Jayfeather said my feather patch was special_, she thought happily to herself. _If that's true, then having injured lungs can't be all bad. He said I was Marked, whatever that means. So I must be extra unique._

Amberpaw brought her a red berry and dropped it at Hollykit's paws. "Eat this," she instructed. "It will make your lungs more clear, and make them feel better."

Hollykit nodded obediently and licked up the berry, chewing it. The juice was sour, and it tasted old. "Eww," she grumbled after she swallowed the berry. "What was that?"

Amebrpaw purred with amusement. "A juniper berry," she explained. "Now get some sleep. Jayfeather will be back soon."

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**AN; Hope you guys enjoyed it. :3**


	4. Chapter 2

**AN; Here is chapter 2. :D**

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**Chapter 2**

Saplingkit rolled over in the sunshine that leaked through the pine trees and into the camp. He was lounging with the elders, waiting for the dusk patrol to return to the ShadowClan camp. His brother were busy pestering their father about battle training and being a warrior and all that. Saplingkit could care less at the moment. He enjoyed being a kit, not having so many duties to do and rules to follow, though he would like to explore out side of the camp.

"You shouldn't be with us right now," one of the elders, a dark gray tom called Cedarheart, wheezed. "Why aren't you with your brother and Tigerheart right now? After all, Saplingkit, you will be an apprentice tomorrow. Aren't you excited?"

Saplingkit sighed. "I am, Cedarheart," he meowed slowly. "But I'm going to miss hanging out with you guys, and not having to do something everyday. Sometimes I just want to be lazy. Don't get me wrong, being a warrior is going to be great! But I don't exactly think I'm ready yet."

Snaketail rolled his amber eyes. "You, Saplingkit, are the first cat I have ever heard say that," he grunted. "Honestly, what have Pinenose and Tigerheart been teaching you? Being a warrior was great. Sometimes, you get lazy days, or just staying in the camp days. But the excitement of battle will always run in our blood, calling us forward to guard our Clan, and our honor. You'll see soon. Why, when I was younger like you, I couldn't wait to become an apprentice. Every day, I snuck out of camp, until I was eventually found out by Raggedstar. He was so mad. But then I became an apprentice, and now look at me! I survived Brokentail. What more could I ask for, but to become a loyal warior to Blackstar?"

Cedarheart rolled over onto his back, letting the warm sun warm his belly fur. "Don't listen to him, Saplingkit," he meowed happily. "Being a warrior is fun. Or not fun. It depends on what kind of a cat you are. Now, go and see your father. He'll be waiting for you by the camp entrance for a word."

Saplingkit nodded, standing up on shaky golden paws. "Thank you, Cedarheart!" he called, dashing over to where his father was talking to Lionkit by the camp entrance. They appeared to be speaking about patrols. "You will love the moonhigh patrols," Tigerheart told his son. "They're exciiting, because sometimes we get to sneak about on other Clans' territories. We cover our scent in their scent markers, or the river, and then they don't suspect a thing."

Lionkit was listening intently, while Saplingkit let his mind wander back to what Snaketail had said. The call of battles runs in a warrior's blood. Every cat feels the call of the wild in his whiskers, the feeling of the wind in his paws.

Saplingkit bade a curt good bye to his father and brother, then turned around and headed across camp to the nursery. He squeazed himself through the entrance and into the small, cozy den. Dawnpelt was grooming her son Flamekit, who was struggling beneath her rythmic tongue. Saplingkit glanced around before realizing that his mother was, in fact, not in the nursery.

"She's by the fresh-kill pile, dear," Dawnpelt managed the meow in between strokes of her toongue, which was even harder with Flamekit strugging so much to escape his mother. "Hurry up and go to her. She is eating a squirrel. Well, Flamekit saw her eating a squirrel, at least. They are a rare treat here in ShadowClan. A woodland animal. I've heard that those kittypets across the border eat them all the time. They are a stupid apology for a Clan, let alone cats. Now go an see your mother, dear. You'll be sleeping in the apprentices' den by tonight."

"I'm going to sleep in Littlecloud's den!" Flamekit mewed, finally managing to dart away from his mother. "I'm going to be the medicine apprentice."

Dawnpelt hissed in annoyance. "Oh, dear, being a warrior is so much better," she purred, worry laced in her voice. "And Littlecloud is probably going to wait. You can't just march into his den saying you want to be his apprentice."

Actually, that was exactly just what Saplingkit had done. He'd padded into the medicine cat's den, asked to be Littlecloud's apprentice, and gotten a happy yes as a reply.

He gave the creamy-furred queen a nod, then squeazed back outside throough the nursery entrance and padded over to where his mother was taking a few small bites from a squirrel. "Do you want some?" Pinenose asked when her son approached.

Saplingkit nodded and took a bite. It was touch and chewy, completely disgusting. Pinenose let out a noisily amused purr. "It's an aquired taste," she laughed. "I heard you in there with Dawnpelt and Flamekit, you know. Do what you want to do, Saplingkit. No cat can stop you from setting your own paws on the path you wish to take. Dawnpelt's problem is that she wants her son to only be a warrior, where he can pass on her blood to future generations. We all know Flamekit isn't happy with fighting or hunting. You have to have impulsive cats and calm cats to balance out a Clan. With too many warriors, the Clan will make bad choices. With too many calm cats, the Clan will seem weak. Do what you want to do. And let every cat around choose their own paths."

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Lowbranch for a Clan meeting!" Rowanstar called from up on his branch. Saplingkit touched his nose to his mother's cheek before racing to stand beside Lionkit in front of their Clan leader. They waited for the rest of ShadowClan to gather for the ceremony.

"By naming apprentices, we show that our Clan is strong," Rowanstar began. "Lionkit and Saplingkit have reached their sixth moon, and it is time for them to be apprenticed. Lionkit, from this moment until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Lionpaw. Redwillow, it is time you had an apprentice. Please pass on to Lionpaw all the skills that your mentor passed on to you."

Redwillow padded forward, and Saplingkit watched as he touched his nose to Lionpaw's.

"Saplingkit, until you have earned your full name, you shall be called Saplingpaw," Rowanstar continued. "Littlecloud, your last apprentice, Flametail, died in a horrible drowning accident in the us hope your new apprentice, Saplingpaw, does not suffer the same terrible fate as he did."

Saplingpaw felt excitement surge through his paws as Littlecloud padded over to him and they touched noses. He felt suddenly warm, and lifted his paw to glance at his pad. The swirl was glowing slightly, which was quite odd.

"Lionpaw! Saplingpaw! Lionpaw! Saplingpaw!"

Saplingpaw watched as Rowanstar dismissed the Clan and ended the meeting before following his mentor into the medicine cat's den. Rows of herbs lined the edges of a clearing, and two nests were set up beneath a large rock. Some of the herbs were underneath another rock which was hollowed out inside. This hollow rock was full of nests, one of which was occupied. Shrewfoot had recently been injured in a battle against ThunderClan, and was sleeping here until she had successfully healed.

Littlecloud picked up a pile of herbs and began to move in into the hollow rock. He placed them, then turned to his apprentice. "Saplingpaw, I need you to help me to move all the herbs under this rock," he grunted. "I sorted them outside, so now we must move them inside. If it rains, the herbs will be protected under the rock. If not, they will all be ruined."

Saplingpaw nodded and began to move piles of leaves and berries and seeds as well. When they finished moving all of the herbs, the sun ahd set and Saplingpaw was beginning to feel his new nest calling for him. Bidding Littlecloud good night, he padded underneath the other rock and curled up in a nest, quicly falling asleep.

The apprentice opened his eyes to see a black she-cat staring down at him. She had a white patch on his chest, which matched the swirl on his paw.

"Hello, Saplingpaw," she meowed. "I have been waiting for you. My name is Brookstone, and I was once a medicine cat in ShadowClan, like you are now. But I was different. Because of my Mark. This Mark gives you special abilities which have long been banished from the Clans. But you have returned. Work in your Clan well, Saplingpaw. I will see you tomorrow night."

And then she was gone, leaving Saplingpaw to wake up to the sun rising and casting a warm light in the medicine clearing. The image of Brookstone was still burned into Saplingpaw's mind as he stood up and stretched. Littlecloud was sitting beside Shrewfoot, applying more herbs to her wounds. He flicked his tail when he heard Saplingpaw, and the apprentice padded over to watch his mentor.

The small tabby tom was chewing up a golden-colored flower and was licking it now into Shrewfoot's wounds. "This is marigold," he meowed after a moment. "It is good for stopping infections. Shrewfoot has a cut on her leg here. Chew some marigold, Saplingpaw, and apply it to her wound."

Saplingpaw nodded, picking up some marigold in his mouth and chewing it into a pulp. He then proceeded to lick the pulpy flower into Shrewfoot's wound, and she winced when he licked it in. "It stings, but it will help," Littlecloud explained when Saplingpaw looked to him for help. Then, bending down to whisper in the apprentice's ear, he added, "And then we cn go into the forest and tke look at that there pad of yours."

The golden tom glanced warily at his paw, somewhat wishing his mentor hadn't caught a glimpse of it at the apprentice ceremony. It would have made him feel a lot less uneasy when he followed Littlecloud's instructions and gave Shrewfoot a poppyseed to ease her pain, then followed his mentor out of the camp and into the forest.

Outside the camp, the forest was nice and cool. Since the place where the ShadowClan cats resided was in a clearing, it got more sunlight than any other place on their territory, with the exception of the lakeshore, of course. Saplingpaw followed Littlecloud along a slightly visible forest path, marked with the scents of passing warriors and a flat way, trodden down by many generations of pawsteps. They soon emerged from the tree-line and onto the pebbly shoreline of the lake, where the small tabby tom sat down opposite of Saplingpaw.

"Now," he meowed. "Let's have a look at that paw, shall we?"

Saplingpaw gave a hesitant nod before gingerly lifting his paw so that his pad was facing his mentor. "I've always had this mark here," the young medicine apprentice admitted, looking nervously at the ground. "It's never glowed like that before, though."

Littlecloud snorted. "Don't act like you haven't seen that before," he meowed. "It was you, after all, who bent the branch of that tree down to free Flamekit from the tree."

The apprentice cocked his head to the side in confusion. "What are you talking about?" he asked uncertainly. "I just wished that would happen. Pure luck that the wind was blowing in just the right way."

Again, Littlecloud snorted in amusement. "Funny thing, there," he told his apprentice. "There wasn't any wind that day. And your mark glowed just like it did at the ceremony when that branch moved. Saplingpaw, tonight is the half moon. We'll go to the Moonpool, and I'll ask StarClan about it. Then you can meet Amberpaw and Dawnpaw. They're the RiverClan and ThunderClan medicine apprentices. Not in that order. Actually, Amberpaw is apprenticed to Jayfeather of ThunderClan, and Willowshine is Dawnpaw's mentor in RiverClan."

Saplingpaw nodded before padding away from his mentor to sniff at a patch of herbs farther along the shore. "We've got enough mallow!" Littlecloud called after him. "You can just explore the shore today. We'll go back and look through the forest at sunhigh. Who knows? Maybe we'll even run in to Redwillow and your brother."

The apprentice nodded before padding along the edge of the lake. It was very hot here by the water's edge, where the sun hit the shore directly. Saplingpaw guessed it would be even hotted at sunhigh, when the sun was directly above the shoreline. He padded in the shallow part of the water so he only got his paws wet, then padded along the stand on the top of a rock and let the wind coming off of the lake buffet his fur.

Saplingpaw's mother told him about a cat name Grizzwald once. He was a fisherman's cat, who would stand on these rocks and feel the wind, or go onto his twolegs' boat and eat all the fish he could ever want. The thought of eating fish was horrible to Saplingpaw. Only those dumb RiverClan fatties over the border at fish, and they only ever ate fish.

The golden tom lay down on the rock and closed his eyes, only to wake up back in the place he had seen that night. Brookstone was there again, but she was growling at a large white tom with a fluffy golden neck. "Liontuft, you must leave!" she snarled.

The tom lifted his head to the sky and laughed a mighty laugh. "Brookstone, you have grown weak in your resting days here in our stars," he meowed, his voice deep and loud. "You can not train him in the ways of the Marked."

Brookstone's hackles raised and she hissed at Liontuft. "He is a medicine cat!" she snapped back. "Saplingpaw does not need to understand how to use his powers to fight. As a kit, he saved another cat from a tree. Is that not proof enough that he will use his powers for good?"

"Speaking of Saplingpaw," Liontuft growled, turning his head to look Saplingpaw right in the eyes. "I believe we have a listener."

Brookstone's head snapped around to look at Saplingpaw. "Go home," she hissed at him. "It is almost sunhigh. Littlecloud will be waiting for you."

Saplingpaw nodded and closed his eyes, surprised to find himself soaked to the bone. He opened his eyes and saw that while he had been sleeping, the tide had come in and almost completely covered his rock.

"Saplingpaw!" Littlecloud called from the shore. "Come back here!"

The golden tom leapt into the water and was surpsied to find himself coughing and spluttering until he eventually reached shore. Looking back into the waves, he saw a small black face stare back at him, as though it were part of the water itself.

"Stay out of the water, Earth-cat," it meowed. "You will not survive in here."

And then it was gone as Littlecloud raced over to Saplingpaw, splashing in the face and leaving Saplingpaw to stare at rippling water. "Saplingpaw, let's go. A storm has started. We must get home."

Saplingpaw reluctantly nodded, following his mentor and taking one last look back at the waves. What had that mysterious cat meant? And why was another cat threatening Brookstone like that?


	5. Chapter 3

**AN; So this is chapter 3. :D**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Sunnypaw followed Mossystep across the river and back onto the island where they kept the RiverClan camp. As soon as they entered, Petalfur's kits swarmed around their paws. "We want to be apprentices!" Blossomkit squealed, attacking Sunnypaw's paw.

The golden she-cat shook her off, padding over to the fresh-kill pile and depositing a pawful of minnows on top. "Maybe if you actually behave, the time you wait will seem quicker than it actually is," she growled under her breath as Blossomkit brother Cloudykit rammed his head right into her side. "Get off!" Sunnypaw snapped at him, making all three kits look up at ehr with wide, fearful eyes. "Go back to the nursery, where you won't be useless and getting under every cat's paws!"

All the kits turned and ran crying to Petalfur, who was sharing tongues with her mate Reedstar. Sunnypaw padded, growling, over to the apprentices' den with a plump trout in her jaws. As if on a silent que, rain started to fall and a large storm was soon brewing over the RiverClan camp, quickly expanding over the rest of the territories.

"That was sudden," she heard Willowshine, the medicine cat, meowed as she padded by.

Sunnypaw snorted and rolled her eyes. Lately, there were many more sudden storms, and she was getting annoyed much more by the kits and younger apprentices, Pricklepaw, Codpaw, and Dawnpaw. Only Dustypaw didn't get on her nerves, and thatwas because he was her brother, and knew well enough by now to stear well clear away from Sunnypaw most of the time.

"It's puberty," her mother would tell Reedstar when he got complaints on her. "Most apprentices her age get snippy attitudes."

Sunnypaw looked down at the sun-shaped patch on her chest. It was what she was made for. Funny how ironic her name was to her attitude, though. She'd even heard her mother, Mosspelt, joking to ehr father about changing Sunnypaw's name to Rudepaw. It hadn't sounded very funny to Sunnypaw, or her father, who took just about everything Mosspelt said seriously.

The she-cat quickly at ehr fish before burrying the bones, then curled up in her nest and fell asleep.

It was that dream again. The reccuring one. There was a golden tom padding through thickly planted trees, and they all seemed to bend down to him when he walked past. The most peculiar part was that when he lifted his front right paw up, a swirl-mark on his pad was glowing.

He just about reached Sunnypaw, and opened his eyes, which were bright green. This was a new part today. This had not happened before. It was very funny, because this was the cat who had gotten stranded on the rock in the lake earlier that day.

Sunnypaw had been fishing on the half-bridge with Mossystep when the tom had woken up in the middle of the lake. _I guess he didn't know that the tide moves_, she had thought before leaving with her minnows.

Now the golden she-cat awoke breathing heavily. That cat seemed to be controlling the trees! _That's silly_, she told herself, picking herself up and giving her pelt a shake. _Now I'm thinking like a kit_.

By now the rain had stopped, and the kits were playing near the kill pile again. Cloudkit was standing on top. "I'm king of the prey!" he yowled, only to be picked up by his scruff by Mossystep. Her attitude toward the ktis wasn't much better than Sunnypaw's was, and she tossed his over to Petalfur.

"Keep your ktis away from the fresh-kill," the tortoiseshell she-cat snarled, picking up a carp and dragging it over to share with her sister, Troutsplash. The pale gray tabby rolled her eyes at her sister before taking a bite of carp.

Sunnypaw padded over to where Dustypaw was sitting by the entrance. He was on guard duty this evening. "You know," she stated, "I think Troutsplash should just have kits already. It's obvious she and Hollowflight are mates now. And she has a huge soft spot for Petalfur and Minnowtail's litters. Don't you think so, Dustypaw?"

The brown tabby tom nodded, his face smug-looking. "She certainly does," he laughed. "You know what Duskfur taught me today? She showed me how to sneak up on ShadowClan cats."

Sunnypaw rolled her eyes. "You mean like the tide snuck up on that apprentice today?" she asked pointedly. "He was sleeping on a rock, and then when he woek up, he was stranded. And he looked to be having a strange dream."

Dustypaw hissed at Codpaw, who was just coming back into camp. The creamy-gray tom squeaked and raninto camp, right into Icewing, his mentor. When Pricklepaw entered, Dustypaw gave her a nod, and the creamy-gray she-cat rolled her eyes pointedly at him.

"What's up with her?" Sunnypaw laughed. "More importantly, what's up with you?"

Dustypaw shuffled his paws on the ground. "I'm going to go get something to eat," he growled, stalking angrily off to the fresh-kill pile. "I'll catch you later."

This was extremely strange, especially for Dustypaw. He never got mad at Sunnypaw, even when she was being particularly jerky. She was always acting like this, it was just her personality. No cat could argue that point.

Sunnypaw merely shrugged her brother's strange behavior off, padding out of the camp, swimming across the river, and climbing up onto the opposite bank. The cool, greenleaf air would give her time and space to think.

Outside, crickets softly chirped in the evening air. The rushes that lined the river swayed in the wind, and seemed alive with the sound of beetles. A small red beetle scuttled across the grass at Sunnypaw's feet, quickly followed by another, larger beetle, who seemed to be chasing the other away from his home. Sunnypaw swatted a the bugs, both of them falling onto their backs and struggling to get right-side-up again.

The golden she-cat continued to walk downstream until she reached the lake. By now, the sun had set and the stars were beginning to show themselves to the Clans below.

"What is happening to me?" Sunnypaw wondered aloud. "I feel so strange. I wish everything would just be explained to me."

She curled up on the lake shores in the smooth, soft pebbles and fell asleep to the sound of the waves lapping on the shore.

When Sunnypaw opened her eyes, she found herself, surprising, in the air. She was walking on stars, it seemed, and another cat was sitting at the end a long path of stars. He had brilliant white fur and sandy-colored eyes that shone, the reflection of stars clearly printed there. His forehead had a large black lightning-bolt-like patch on iit, which seemed to glow the closer Sunnypaw came to him.

"Greetings, young Sunnypaw," the tom meowed. His voice was deep, and he dipped his head in greeting to her.

Sunnypaw recognized this cat's authority, and did the same. "Greetings," she meowed. "But maay I ask who you are, and how you know my name?"

The tom let out a laugh, almost as big as his throaty voice. "Do not fear, young 'paw," he assured her. "For I am Frostbolt, a former RiverClan warrior. I once reeked havoc through all the Clans with my power to control electricity, but that all smoothed over the moment I took my place as deputy. Cats used to talk about me in nursery tales, you know. I was, after all, quite a hero. Saving cats wherever I went. I took my duties as deputy very seriously: I showed mercy to every cat I fought; I never raised a claw at any innocent apprentices who might have crossed the border accidentally on their first day out of camp; I even stepped down from my rank when StarClan sent that awful sign that a star of lightning would destroy the peace between RiverClan and WindClan. But the worse thing I could have done was watch Lightningheart take over my leader's place. For she was the one to destroy our peace. I'm here to train you, young Marked, not to make that same mistake, if it ever comes down to that for you."

"M-marked?" Sunnypaw whispered, suddenly glancing at her paw. The sun-shaped spot seemed to glow at these words.

"Yes," Frostbolt meowed. "Marked. You have a power, Sunnypaw. The power to control the weather with your feelings. You wonder why it rains whenever you feel grumpy? That's your power taking over. Learn to control your feelings, and you can control your power. Please, we don't have much time longer. I must pass on this message to you. Beware of the water, Sunnypaw. For in the end, it will be your greatest enemy."

Sunnypaw blinked in surprise as she watched Frostbolt fade away, and her own paws became see-through. Water? Her greatest enemy? But she lived in RiverClan! Surely water would be her ally?

She woke up on the beach, the sun partially blocked out by the clouds in the sky. "That's how I feel right now," she whispered. "But still... I wonder what he meant?"

"What who meant?"

Sunnypaw spun around to find herself nose-to-nose with the creamy gray figure of Codpaw. "Get out of my way," Sunnypaw said, surprise that she didn't feel annoyed at the tom spying on her. "I'm going for a walk. And if you follow me, I'll shred you for kit-bedding!"

Codpaw seemed completely undaunted by her threat.

So Sunnypaw turned and padded around the lake, hoping to bore him into leaving her alone. Codpaw ignored her padding away and instead settled down in the pebbles where Sunnypaw had just been. The golden she-cat didn't really care. What was he going to do there, anyways? She walked along the shore until she came to the WindClan border. A gray she-cat with rippling tabby fur was sittiing next to the border. She seemed to be concentrating hard on something. Then Sunnypaw saw what.

The cat seemed to be watching the water. Suddenly, a bunch of bubbles of water floated up into the air above the she-cat's head. "I did it!" she cried, losing her concentration and making the water splosh onto her head. "Eww!"

Sunnypaw laughed. "I see you're Marked," she purred in amusement as the little cat looked up at her in alarm. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm Sunnypaw, by the way."

"R-r-ripplekit," the cat stammered. "I've got to get back to camp."

Sunnypaw watched the kit turn and flee back over the hills of her territory and to the WindClan camp. It was quite odd, meeting a kit so young-looking so far outside the camp. Most kits did end up exploring outside before their time came, but as far as their Clan's borders? That was quite unusual.

The golden she-cat turned and began to pad back to camp. The sun had now risen even higher into the sky, and was making its way to sunhigh. If she was to be sent on patrol, and she wasn't their, Mossystep would have her pelt!

Sunnypaw took the route over the gravely path. It was a wide strip of gravel that led from a twoleg nest almost down to the lake, but not quite far enough. Good thing, too, because cats could get very bad scratches from the sharp stones.

She cautiously padded out onto the wide path, beginning to wonder if this was such a good idea after all. When she had taken a few more pawsteps in, Sunnypaw looked back over her shoulder to find she was far from the start of the path. No turning back now. If a twoleg or one of their thin, two-paws came running down right now, she'd be crow-food for sure! With that in mind, Sunnypaw sped up a bit, padding out on the other side.

Nothing had gone wrong. No twolegs, no dogs, and none of those horrible two-paws. Thank StarClan.

Sunnypaw followed her own memory of the territory back to camp and flopped down on the lush grass in the medicine den. Willowshine had her den on a separate island from the rest of the camp, and she stored her herbs in the roots of a willow tree, taking refuge in its hollowed out trunk. There was a hollow log that had fallen many seasons ago onto this smaller island, and now it was used for sick and injured cats.

While she had been walking on the twoleg path, Sunnypaw had gotten a load of stones driven into her paws, and she was determined to get them out. But only Willowshine's apprentice Dawnpaw was here, and the pale gray she-cat didn't look keen on helping her tormentor.

"I'll just wait until Willowshine gets back, okay kitty?" Sunnypaw meowed, swiftly drawing her tongue over her chest. "Wouldn't want our little kittypet friend here to forget how to do things, do we?"

Dawnpaw bristled at the name. "And what says I'm a kittypet?" she hissed.

Sunnypaw laughed. "Well, every medicine cat is a kittypet, really," she pointed out, not pausing to make eye contact from her grooming. "After all, they don't hunt. Or fight for the land. They're just care-takers. As good as twolegs! They're just _lucky_ the Clan looks on them as kittypets instead of those pitiful lumps of hairless-pink things!"

The pale gray apprentice let out a growl. "We're not kittypets!" she snarled. "Or twolegs! We take care of you cats because you come crawling to us, not knowing how to heal yourselves! If we're so useless in your eyes, why are you even here?"

"Because you are here," Sunnypaw snapped, losing her patience with the apprentice. "Would you like to sit around all day, stuffing your face and pretending you believe in StarClan like Mothwing? Because that's the alternative to doing nothing."

Dawnpaw stared in horror at Sunnypaw, her eyes flashing for a heartbeat with realization at the truth in Sunnypaw's tone, even though the scorn about Mothwing nearly covered it up entirely. Most of the young warriors, apprentices, mothers and kits didn't enjoy Mothwing's presence in the Clan. After all, there was no place for loyalty that wavered. Mothwing didn't believe in StarClan. If she had been a warrior, and StarClan ordered RiverClan to fight, would she fight, thinking that these starry cats were only nursery-tales?

"I am not like Mothwing," Dawnpaw meowed softly. "I just wanted to help. But if you won't accept that, fine."

Sunnypaw looked up again to watch Dawnpaw storming out of the medicine den as her mentor came in. "What was that all about?"

"Just a little misunderstanding about Mothwing," Sunnypaw explained.

Willowshine let out an unhappy-sounding sigh. "You cats should be less harsh on her," she meowed calmly, looking in her store for something unknown to Sunnypaw. "Mothwing was born to Tigerstar and Sasha, a loner she-cat. Her brother, Hawkfrost was murdered, and Tadpole who was her other brother... well, he died in a flood. Mothwing's problem is, if she can't see it, it's not there. And if StarClan really existed, wouldn't they have saved Tadpole? Or stopped Hawkfrost from turning traitor to the Clan that had raised him from a kit? Or perhaps made her Clan-born, so she wouldn't have received the mockery she gets now from have ever being Moth, loner-kit, daughter of Tigerstar and Sasha? There was nothing they could do. It was out of their power. And because of that, Mothwing does not believe. She wanted to, oh, how she wanted to believe in the beginning. But she didn't. Mothwing is your elder, Sunnypaw. And don't think she's the only unbelieving cat out there. Cloudtail of ThunderClan? You'll meet him tonight, at the Gathering. He has no belief in StarClan either. But he, his Clan, and Brightheart get along just fine, and that's what matters. I wish Mothwing could receive the same amout of peace and happiness. Now, let me take a good look at those paws."

Sunnypaw lifted both her front paws, and Willowshine dug each of them out with her sharp teeth. Then she applied a golden mush to Sunnypaw's cuts and covered them in cobwebs.

"You weren't bleeding, but the marigold will help any cuts to heal, and cobwebs hold it in place."

Sunnypaw nodded, standing up and gently placing her paws onto the grass. They felt better already.

"Thanks, Willowshine," she meowed, padding out of the den and hopping across the stepping stones to the main camp area. Dustypaw was talking with Pricklepaw over some fresh-kill, and Petalfur had her kits out again. They were running around all the warriors' paws and pouncing on eachother, playing as kits play.

Sunnypaw rolled her eyes at them. Kits were so stupid.

She padded over to where Mossystep was conversing with Duskfur about their apprentices.

"They're progressing well," Duskfur pointed out, giving her brown paw and lick and drawing it over her ear.

Mossystep dipped her head to the older she-cat. "Indeed," she agreed. "They'll be made warriors soon."

Sunnypaw's ears pricked at this. Soon? That was sudden. She and Dustypaw had only been apprentices for eight moons, not the usual twelve. Most cats even trained for _over_ twelve moons!

"I can't believe how fast they grew up," Dapplenose rasped as she dragged herself over to sit beside Sunnypaw. "Why, I remember when Mossystep and Duskfur were only apprentices. What wonderful cats they were, and still are, of course. And now they are training apprentices of their own."

The golden she-cat shrugged off the elder's words. Her mentor and Dustypaw's mentor didn't care about when they were apprentices, and neither would she, when she became a warrior.


End file.
